Learn About Geary County Heritage in These Intriguing and Amusing Articles From our Museum Staff

Saturday, December 26, 2015

Old New Year Traditions

Happy New Year
from the Geary County Historical Society! As we make the transition from
celebrating Christmas to welcoming the New Year, we all have different
traditions our friends and families like to do every year to help welcome and
say goodbye to the previous year. Many hope to improve on their health and
situation by making New Year’s resolution for a better new year. Perhaps the
most common way to bring in the New Year is by having a party on New Year’ Eve.
Most of the world welcomes in the New Year by throwing a big party and counting
down the old year. This however might not have always been the case. In a few
early reports in the Junction City newspapers, it seems as though Geary County
celebrated the arrival of the New Year on New Year’s Day instead of New Year’s
Eve.

One of the more
common traditions that took place on New Year’s Day at the turn of the century
was that it was customary to have one’s house open in an “open house” setting
for different people to visit your home. An article from January 2nd,
1895, the Daily Sentinel, an old and now defunct newspaper in Junction City,
detailed an account of what a typical New Year’s Day, with these open houses,
would be like in town: “The pretty old custom of keeping [an] open house on the
first day of the year has been revived, and on New Year’s day of ’95 there were
score of callers and many gracious hostesses all over town.” This tradition
doesn’t seem like one that is celebrated often in our community now.

These open houses
would be fully decorated and the women hosting and attending these parties
would be dressed in their best attire, ““The ladies were very elegant reception
gowns. Mrs. Humphrey was gowned in black and satin and brocade velvet. Mrs.
Greene, black noire and real lace. Miss Eleanor Humphrey, black silk skirt with
a fancy blue silk waist.” The article continues, “The refreshments were
daintily served from small tables in the back parlors and consisted of ices, cakes,
tea, cocoa, coffee and wafers.” From these early accounts of New Year’s in
Geary County, it seems that the bigger celebrations took place on New Year’s
Day and not New Year’s Eve.

These
“open houses” were not the only things that seemed to happen around town in
Junction City. The Union of January 3, 1880 reported that observances ranging
from evening parties and pranks to New Year’s Day open houses took place that
year. A detailed account outlines the
transformation of Washington
Street by pranksters:

“Last
Thursday—New Year’s Day—was generally observed in Junction City. At midnight
prior to the day, bells were rung, guns fired and beautiful music was
discoursed by a portion of the FortRiley band. In the morning a strange sight greeted people
who appeared on the streets. Washington Avenue,
between the grange store and Brown’s Harness Store was completely blockaded
with wagons, carts, buggies, hacks and vehicles of every conceivable appearance
and description. Prominent among then
was the bus of the Pennsylvania House, on the top of which was a barrel
standing on end and supporting the carved Indian sign from Miller’s cigar
store. On the wooden awning of Mrs.
Mead’s millinery store was one of the buggies of Porter Bros. Drug Store. A cow was found tied to the door of the
grange store and Old Bill’s savage yard bulldog was secured to the doorknob of
Hout’s billiard hall. Under the words,
“Our Saloon” on Fritz Overhoff’s was G.W. Meddick’s law shingle. Mrs. Blue’s Millinery store was converted into
a boot and shoe store and a restaurant.
A small building (privy) hauled from the rear of Purington’s blacksmith
shop stood in front of the opening to the yard of the Allen House and sported
Pershall’s hotel sign.”

These open houses
diminished over time and it did seem that at the turn of the century, there are
recorded events that took place on New Year’s Eve. In the January 5th,
1924 edition of the Daily Union reported,” One of the events of the holiday
season was the watch party given on New Year’s Eve by Miss Josephine Caspar and
Mr. Geo Caspar, at which 20 guests enjoyed
an evening at cards and dancing.”

So no matter what
traditions you and your loved ones practice on New Year, make sure you stay
safe and we hope to see you next year at the Geary County Historical Society!

This picture was taken at a 1898 party at the Rockwell
residence on New Year’s day during an “Open House.”

Geary County Museums

The Museum is open Tuesday-Sunday 1-4 and is closed for holidays.There are three floors of exhibits, both permanent and rotating. We have a wonderful gift shop where you can buy trinkets for yourself or others. The Museum building is available for rent, email for more information. We have three Satellite sites available upon request.